Bryant Volleyball Earns Sixth Win of Year Tuesday

September 7, 2004

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- Michelle Muniz (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) helped pace the Bryant University women?s volleyball team to its sixth win in seven matches to open the season with 11 kills as the Bulldogs shook off a slow start and held on to defeat visiting Franklin Pierce 3-0 in Northeast-10 Conference action Tuesday. Game scores were 30-22, 30-20, 30-25.

Michelle Muniz

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 6-1 on the year and 3-0 in the Northeast-10. Franklin Pierce, with the loss, drops to 1-5, 0-2 in conference.

Muniz, twice named the Northeast-10 Conference player of the week, led Bryant with a .263 hitting percentage with 11 kills on 19 swings in two games for Bryant. Sophomore Jessica Cegarra (Danville, N.H.) and freshman Jessica Henson (Bedford, TX) each had 10 kills apiece. Henson, a freshman outside hitter, had a pair of solo blocks to go with two service aces in the match. Fellow freshman Tiffany Garry (Frankfort, IL) had 14 assists running the offense in the first two games.

Franklin Piece played well throughout and raced out to a commanding 11-9 lead to start the third game, but Bryant, behind the attack of Henson and Cegarra, plus the strong play off the bench of sophomore Vanessa Lavallee (Gilford, N.H.) ? two kills and a dig ? were able to rally to pull out a 30-25 win.

Bryant will face Wilmington Friday in Waltham, Mass. at the Bentley tournament.

WOMEN?S VOLLEYBALL

at Smithfield, R.I.

Bryant, 3-0

Franklin Pierce (1-5, 0-2 NE-10) 22 20 25

Bryant (6-1, 3-0 NE-10) 30 30 30